Lucky
by Lore55
Summary: I had never believed in luck, or fate, or destiny. Then a little white rabbit had to cross my dying vision and send me off to a place where luck and skill were what your survival depended upon. All I can do is hope that my reputation as a jinx doesn't carry over with my memories. SI/Reincarnation.
1. Chapter 1

**Lucky**

**Yet another new story. **

**I own nothing. Feedback is welcome. **

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><p>I didn't believe in destiny. Fate, Providence, call it what you would, I thought it was for fools who couldn't stand up for themselves and relied on a higher power that didn't even exist to comfort them instead of facing their problems head on. I still believe this, though less vehemently. I am relatively sure now that there is some force that drove chance into a particular twist, that shifted probability into the favor of some and stole luck from others. More so even than I now can.<p>

Luck back then was a... touchy subject for me. While I would deny that it existed to any that asked I had made a name for myself in school and work places. Jinx. I dropped things, tripped, caused pile ups that shut down entire stair wells. As far as many were concerned I was bad luck, and should be avoided lest it rub off on them. Every year for my birthday someone would slip something to me in what I viewed to be cruel jokes; rabbits foot, four leafed clover, horse shoes, jars of crickets, amethyst worry stones and even a bag of acorns once.

I wasn't the biggest fan of luck. I had a bad center of balance, my nerve control wasn't always the best and I occasionally didn't notice small things, that was all. As far as I was concerned I made my own luck. It never mattered or struck me odd that even without cheating I could always predict which side a coin would land on or that I won poker every time. It was just happenstance, coincidence.

There was no such thing as fate, I was positive.

Now, not so much.

God or Jashin or Thanatos or who ever was in charge of death has one hell of a sense of humor, as I discovered on January 15th, 2014, when a van for Diamond Shamrock Moving Company struck me. I hadn't even been Jay walking!

As I lay on the pavement, blood pooling from a crack in my skull, I could see a little white rabbit standing stock still on the sidewalk, unnoticed by the horrified crowd that stared at my prone form. As darkness crept into my vision, clouding over the edge that little white rabbit turned around and hopped away, fluffy tail twitching behind him. Numbly I reached a hand out to try and catch him, for purposes I do not know.

The world went black and the voices, frantic and terrified, gave way, the sirens, distant and desperate, faded.

Then there was darkness.

And in the darkness I waited.

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><p>I would rather not go through the humiliation and terror that awaited me when those long months of waiting were over, as I am sure that your imagination can come up with what happened between the screaming, blood and bright, blinding, freezing light.<p>

Birth isn't pleasant no matter what side of it you happen to be on.

On October the Tenth I was born in Konoha General Hospital as Keiko Senju, Female, 2.67 kg. daughter of Kaname and Seika Senju, who were 41 and 32 respectively. I was their third and final attempt at a child. I had one older brother, Kohaku, who was small and sickly, and an older sister, Koharu, Kohaku's twin. None of our births had been easy on our mother, leading her to be ill for several months after my birth. Consequently my first few months of life were spent in the strong arms of my father or the smaller grasp of Kohaku. Koharu I don't think liked me much.

Now before I go further I would like to say this;

If ever you are reborn, take a lot of time to observe. When you first find the light of day you will not see more than small blurs of color, nor will you be able to pick up very many sounds. Do not worry, this is quite normal, as humans are all born prematurely. If we don't get kicked out after nine months is up though it will put so much strain on the mother that she and child will die, so premature it is.

Listen carefully, figure out the language. In my case it happened to be Japanese of all things. It was difficult for me to understand, given that I was in fact very much an American. Or was. It's all relative.

Soon enough you will begin to pick up words. One you will notice will be said with more force, higher pitch, and more often than others. It may even be pronounced strangely.

_Keiko. Keiko-chan. Imouto._

Fear not. This is your name. Hold it close and do not forget that you are no longer who you once were. You have a new life, a new name, and another chance.  
>You might have siblings, like I did, they will pronounce their name very slowly and try to get you to say it back at them.<p>

_Kohaku. Ko-ha-ku. Anata wa sore o iu koto wa dekimasu ka, Imouto? Can you say that, little sister?_

There is a family competition to see whose name you speak first.

_Mama, Papa, Kohaku, Koharu. Chichi, Haha, Aniki, Ane._

Who ever you say first automatically is your favorite, whether this is true or not.

_Koharu._

They will then have you thrust upon them for baby sitting or be the envy of the others, who you should do your best to speak of as soon after as you can.

_Kohaku. Chichi. Haha._

By the time you can talk you should be able to see as well. Take a look around, see what's happening, where you are, look for context clues.

_There were trees. The walls were paper. Chichi, father, has white hair and black eyes. There are strange markings on all of the walls, a thin line and crescents coming off both ends. The house is huge, stretching out for whole blocks. We five are the only ones there. Chichi carries a sword around. There is very limited technology. The air is warm, the sun shines often. Koharu and Kohaku go to a school called the Academy all year round. I am not allowed outside on my own._

Take note of these context clues. Do not dismiss them.

_Chichi has an odd headband he wears often. It has the lead symbol on it. He must be a cosplayer. On occasion I sit on his lap and I'll smell copper. He won't let me in the room down the hall. I get in once and it's full of sharp things. Chichi isn't happy._

The first year is the most important. Gather all the information that you can.

_They tried to teach me funny hand games. I paid little attention, wandering around instead and looking at the pictures on the walls._

Do not make assumptions. Wait until you have access to a library or the internet to decide where and when you are.

_This was japan, I must live with a very old family in the sixties. Funny, their clothes are a little closer to 2000s._

And above all else, when the truth finally hits you, do not panic.

_Happy birthday to your, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Keiko- The world exploded. People screamed. I was slammed to the ground by a sudden increase in gravity. Dark, oppressing terror choked me and I did the only thing that I could. I screamed._

Stay calm.

_Kohaku grabbed me and ran, Koharu's hand in his. They were both like mother, I noted through the din or horror that tried to consume me. Brown hair and eyes on both, pretty lips and sharp cheeks. Was I like them? Was I pretty? They told me so. Did the giant fox over the walls think I was?_

Do not freak out.

_Giant fox. Giant fox with nine tails. Ninetails. Kyuubi. Chichi smelled like blood, the walls were marked, the twins went to the Academy, there was a room of weapons I wasn't allowed in._

It will be alright.

_It is October 10th. The day of the attack on the hidden lead village. Konohagakure._

It will be-

_I am not where I am supposed to be. An explosion rocks the world and I scream in Kohaku's arms, the wrongness of everything slams into me all at once and the horrible, awful oppression of the intent to kill, to slaughter, strikes me from the giant fox. Kohaku jumps off the ground, clutching me tight. Chichi and Haha are nowhere to be seen. Debris comes flying at us from all around. The beam of a shattered house is falling towards us from above. I stretched out my hand as if to catch it, knowing my brother too slow and not focused enough to see the threat. There is a flicker of violet at the edges of my fingers. He trips. I go flying and the beam strikes the earth. There is a sickening crunch._

alright.

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><p>As of now people know me as Keiko Senju, and I am the last of my name.<p>

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><p>"Quite the hand you dealt that one. Are you sure she can handle it?"<p>

There was a scoff. "She'll have to."

"We'll see if her luck holds up."

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><p><em> The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest. - Rodney Dangerfield<br>_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two. I own nothing. **

**Reviews; Yoran'sArts: Really? I hadn't actually noticed that. Interesting is right!**

**the Hate Child: Thank you, I do my best!**

"She can't be gone."

"Well then where is she?"

"I don't know, she was here a second ago!"

"If we lost her we are in so much trouble."

Maybe it was cruel, maybe it was mean of me to play jokes on my care takers but I couldn't help it. It was too easy.

For three years I had been under the constant watch of alternating teams of genin, as I was apparently not allowed in an orphanage or to be adopted by someone else. I could only assume that it was because of my status as a Clan Kid, which seemed to mean that I was very different from other children. Had I been born to a clan with more members then I would have been passed off onto them. Had my godmother or godfather been in town or not dead I would have gone to them. However both of these things were the case that they were, and so I was placed in the care of the dutiful genin. Where the money for all of these missions came from it worried me to think.

What worried me less was vanishing from their sight or purposefully making their lives harder.

There were some, those that were nice and treated me well that I did the same for. Kosuke Maruboshi was one such person. Others I panicked and made trouble for. One of those teams was lead by Morino Ibiki, and consisted of Izumo Kamizuki , Kotetsu Hagane, and Iruka Umino. I liked them well enough, make no mistake, and I minded them without too much trouble.

When they could find me.

Even after a full year of baby-sitting duty they had yet to understand that you don't ever let the kid out of your sight. To do so would be foolish.

My favorite team was made up of fools, it seemed.

I wasn't even that well hidden. All I had to do was sit behind one of the many potted plants that marked the corners of my house, rucked into the crook of the house and watch the boys panic over my latest disappearing act. It didn't help that this was the first time Ibiki had trusted them with me alone.

It was a struggle not to laugh at their expense. It would have been so easy to do so, they might not even hear me. The trio split up into groups and I pushed further against the wall, smiling to myself. The smile disappeared when Kotetsu turned towards me. I sucked in a breath and tensed, preparing to flee if he caught sight of me.

_If only he would trip._

His face smacked against the ground. Unable to help it I laughed, clapping my small hands over my mouth. All attention snaps to me and in an instant I'm running, socks slipping on the polished wood (also the work of the ever dedicated genin teams) as I try to get away. I know what will happen if they catch me.

They catch me without further trouble and I spend the rest of day tied to a chair, calling them the most creatively childish insults I can. They seem caught between being annoyed and amused. All the while things keep happening that push them towards their boiling points. Tripping over nothing, slamming their shins into side tables, having all the spices in a cabinet fall on top of their heads. By the time they leave they're dirty, tired, and more than happy to hand me over to the set that will make sure I get to bed on time and spend the rest of the night doing things that no responsible baby sitter ever would.

It was how the days went.

Normally I didn't mind, but watching the three boys walk off, chattering and shoving each other while Ibiki watched on, a mother hen even if he wouldn't admit it, I felt isolated.

Bitter.

Alone.

_I wish they wouldn't be so close. _

The branch of a tree fell and the four of them jumped apart to avoid being hit.

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><p>It wasn't often that I got to go anywhere outside my house. It was big enough that I could explore it for years and never know every one of the hidden passages or be able to map out each room. There were many gardens, most of which had fallen into disarray. The genin teams that cleaned only ever did my main house, leaving everything else to fall apart. The seals kept things mostly intact.<p>

So while my house, with its wild green gardens and dark hidden halls, was fun, it was not nearly as much fun as going out into the world and seeing things.

It was Kosuke, the Eternal Genin, who took me out that day, his large, wrinkled hand holding mine as I all but dragged him towards the direction I _knew_ the park to be in.

Ten minutes into out walk he told me we'd been going the exact wrong direction.

Face bright red I marched us in the right place the next time.

The old man took it all in stride, content, it seemed, to follow after me.

The park was just as one might expect it to be, covered in bright green grass and surrounded by tall oak trees my great-uncle had probably helped to plant. On the hill there stood a play set, equipped with swings, monkey bars and jungle gym. I looked around rapidly, drinking in the sight of the children that ran and played with each other. Parents watched on with only mild interest from the sidelines, parents or guardians. There were a few ninja among them that I knew, chatting with their civilian companions. It was a group of them the Kosuke left me to go join, shooing me off to try and make friends.

'Try' being the key word. I made quite the impression when my first act of attempted friendship ended with my face being acquainted with a ball and my butt getting to know the ground. I sat on the ground, stunned by the sudden impact. The ball bounced away, striking a rock that was apparently very sharp and popping.

"Hey!" One of the boys that had been playing with the ball cried, "That was mine! You broke it!"

I shook my head rapidly, eyes growing wide. "No, it wasn't my fault! It just happened!"

"You didn't catch it, and it hit the rock off of you, so it's your fault," the child reasoned.

"It is not!" I shouted back at him.

He shoved me and I pushed back. He tripped over a root, yelping as his ankle twisted. I stood above him, staring down with wide eyes as he started shaking and broke into a wail.

"Takeshi!" the shout came from the parents and I scrambled away before she could get there, not wanting to get yelled at.

It wasn't my fault.

_It wasn't my fault. _

_It was just bad luck. _

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><p>Later on, when I got back to my home, I left Kosuke outside and slunk back to my bedroom, laying down and curling up under the mattress. All I could think of was the scene I had left behind me, of a woman cradling her son, shushing him and promising to make everything better, trying to get him to stop crying.<p>

Words of my mother, the one from before the car, came back to me as the ache in my chest constricted. _Pain, pain go away. We don't want you, let us play. _

It didn't.

I curled up into a ball, darkness pressing in on me.

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><p>I didn't leave my house for a very long time after that, staying around in a fog of unhappiness despite whatever the genin in charge of me said. Iruka, Izumo and Kotetsu all graduated to chunin by the end of the year, Ibiki went back to T&amp;I and when I learned that they would no longer come to see me I felt a strange sense of betrayal.<p>

It was stupid. They were only watching me because it was their job, not because they cared. Kosuke was probably the same way, entertaining a child who couldn't understand that she was bringing them trouble and stress.

It hurt to know.

After Team Ibiki disbanded I stopped playing with my care takers, and eventually they stopped coming.

I was alone again.

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><p>"<em>When other girls were dreaming about love, she dreamt of love too, but in an entirely different context - the ones they took for granted."― Donna Lynn Hope<em>


	3. Chapter 3

Academy days were nothing worth mentioning.

School was school, it was all the same no matter where you go or who you are school is still school and children are still children and children are cruel.

The teachers didn't care.

They needed us tough to be warriors, to be good little soldiers that who obey orders and wouldn't crack under pressure or teasing.

I tried to be like that. In fact I succeeded, if only because people were so afraid of my jinxing them that almost no one ever approached.

I was growing to hate this life, which seemed to similar to my last one.

My only comfort was in the little white rabbit that was almost always twitching his nose at the edge of my vision.

His name was Peter.

He came and went as he chose, often enough he would come close enough that I could pick him up and stroke his soft fur, hold onto him when the empty echo of the house got too much to bare.

He was the only friend I had.

No others would bother to approach, either because they thought me arrogant for my name or did not wish the bad luck that trailed behind me to follow them as well.

Strangely enough the happenings never happened to me, only around me, and it took me far longer than I would like to admit to figure out that the static of green that touched my finger-tips before my 'wishes' came true was a manifestation of what I was doing. That is to say, jinxing someone, or hexing them. The scientific term I decided to use was Probability Control and Manipulation. The actual word for it is Tychokinesis, but the other one is easier to remember and requires less explanation. Not that I ever explained it to anyone.

It wasn't like there was anyone to tell.

I practiced with it, quite a bit in fact. I wanted to know my limits. I was expected to be a ninja, and I would be, simply put. The only factor I had a choice in was how good of one I was going to be.

Seeing as I had no intention of dying for a second time I came to the conclusion that I would use everything I had to give me an edge.

Which was why I spent so much time watching other people and making them trip, or making them not when they surely would.

I learned my limits. I could cast near limitless small hexes (stumble over a branch, slip into the water, explode a soda can), roughly ten medium sized hexes (the trees falls over, the blackboard falls down, a power line breaks) in that same amount of time, and two big hexes (a rock slide, or a bad storm) in a single week. After that my power was tapped out for another three or four days.

I could do a lot too. 'Probability Control' is an accurate term. I could choose which side a dice would roll on, by twitching the probability of it landing on six from a measly 16.6 % to a whole 83.3 %. Similarly something that would have virtually a 0% chance of happening, like, say, the spontaneous rusting of bolts holding up a swing set, would then become just a few billionths shy of 100%. So in other words, it was going to happen. The concept of 50/50 was a royal pain but tolerable. I could not control which side of a coin would land but I could predict which one would happen.

All of this happened by using my energy, which I am relatively sure is not chakra, at least not the kind that ninja used, to create a finite quantity of reality disrupting quasi-psionic force, which took the form of flickering green light. If one looked carefully they could see the sparks leave me for my targets and cause a disruption at the molecular level probability field of the target, causing the unlikely phenomenon of my choosing to happen.

It was during one of my days of experimenting and ducking out of gym class that I made the first friend of my life.

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><p>"That boy?"<p>

Two pairs of eyes were drawn to the speaker, a young man of spiked black hair and near glowing red eyes. His fur trimmed cloak, equally wild and dark as his mane, rustled as he shifted his posture to lean back on the wall behind him, shadows obscuring most of his face once he was out of the immediate light of the glowing pool.

"It is her choice," reminded one of the companions, brilliant red hair falling straight past his shoulders. Ringed eyes remained on the mirror that was balanced on circular table.

"Perhaps she has an affinity for the underdogs," their last member commented, speaking around jagged teeth. Wild white hair fell long past his cloaked body and dark sclera surrounded yellow eyes.

"I would not be surprised," The red haired man admitted, pulling idly at the sleeve of his green robes.

"At least she figured out how to use those powers," commented the first broadly.

"You had better hope that she succeeds in her task," the third commented.

There was a scoff from the dark haired youth. "You think I don't know that? I don't see why we didn't just get my brat to do it. He'd capable. Or will be, at least."

"Yes, but your brat does not have the heart needed for this undertaking."

"And you think the depressed dead girl does?"

Gold eyes met black and violet and deep voice came out, almost defensive. "You would be surprised what the dead can do."

There was an uneasy silence before the first spoke again.

"I hope you're right. Or we're all fucked."

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><p>"Hidan, what on earth are you doing now?"<p>

Bright violet eyes darted up and the six year old bared his teeth in a smile at the monk before him.

"Practicin'" he explained, pointing to the ground below his feet. Indeed he had been, and under his short limbs the ten year old had managed to craft a wobbly circle and shaky lines across it.

The monk observed his work, head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

"You know what you've done wrong with this?" he questioned.

"It's fuckin squiggly," the younger male stated bluntly.

There was a nod. "Try again, and don't be late for lunch. Your Lord Jashin does not mind tardiness so long as a task is completely but I do like to keep some semblance of a schedule around here."

The bald man turned around and headed back inside with the other children, leaving the genin on his own again. He didn't mind, it was easier without the old man breathing down his neck. Especially now that he could feel the shift in his gods power.

Something was going on.

The smile turned predatory.

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><p>Rock Lee could only stare in wonder as his classmates, who had all been shouting discouragements at him mere moments ago were now sprinting for the school house, crying became, for some unfathomable reason, all of their clothing had unraveled at once. All, that is, except for Keiko Senju.<p>

The girl now stood in front of, or technically behind him, on the running track, fingering a long strand of silver hair that spiked at the ends. She was in his class, in fact he sat in the same desk as he, though they were on opposite sides of Renji, the boy who sat in the middle desk. They had never actually spoken before, though Lee had heard the rumors about her presence being cursed.

"You just gonna stand there or keep running?" she asked, shifting from foot to foot under his gaze. Dark green eyes slid away from his and Lee nodded slowly, stunned out of his normal energetic nature.

It didn't last for more than a few seconds.

"Why do you not run with me?" he asked, more of an offer than a question.

The girl, the only one of the prestigious Senju Clan remaining, lifted her small shoulders in a shrug. "I don't really like to run. I do other stuff," she explained, giving a vague wave to the piles of thread on the ground.

Lee's eyes widened past even their normal comical size. "That was you!"

Her smile was sheepish.

"I thought they were mean, so I was mean back," she explained. Then took a step away, looking over his shoulder. Lee followed her gaze, finding their teacher storming over to the two clothed children. Lee noticed a spark of green appear at his feet before the man fell flat on his face. A hand touched hers and Lee spun around to find Keiko now much closer, eyes wide with something between excitement and fear.

"Do you still want to run?"

Against his moral judgement, Rock Lee grabbed the girls hand in his and turned his back on the teacher, letting the girl lead him on a sprint through the trees.

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><p><em>"Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone's hand is the beginning of a journey. At other times, it is allowing another to take yours." ― Vera Nazarian<em>


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 is up!**

**Reviews; **

**the Hate Child: That's actually what they're based off of. Good eye!**

**Littlebirdd: Yup! Lee deserves more love, so I decided to give him some here. **

**amgs: Thank you, I hope that it turns out well! Hidan will be important to the story, not right this very second but as it goes on he will play a bit role. **

**Violetey: Thank you!**

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><p>The day he met Keiko was the first and last day that Lee went to detention. Keiko, he found, was something of a troublemaker, and took whatever chance she had to cause something unfortunate to befall those who were cruel or unkind. Especially to Lee.<p>

By the end of the month people were too busy avoiding the girl, who now stuck like a bur to his side, to bother teasing him about his deformed chakra coils. Keiko stayed by at most times, talking to him or simply being there. He didn't mind. She was good company, and eventually she joined him on his runs, and even offered to spar with him.

She was not bad, in fact she was very good, though when they were not in the academy she used a style that he could not recognize.

She explained to him once that it was her family's personal form, which she was learning from the scrolls that had been left behind. He had nodded his understanding and they had gone back to the exchange of blows.

With the laziness of a summer cloud the days in the Academy rolled by.

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><p>Once I had a friend things were better. I wasn't alone anymore. I worried sometimes that Lee might grow annoyed with me for staying so close, irritated with my clinging, but he never did, something for which I was grateful.<p>

I still practiced my power, which would be dubbed a kekkei genkai should anyone else ask what it was or how I did it. That was usually a good enough explanation for the unexplained.

No one ever asked, though I was scolded quite a few times by various instructors.

It didn't really matter, once I had a friend. We were actually very unlike each other.

Lee was determined to work hard and become a great ninja, specializing only in Taijutsu and using his voice to tell all who tried to disagree with him that it was possible.

I was, in all honesty, lazy. I didn't like working out, I didn't want to be a ninja, and my hand to hand skills were, to be frank, abysmal. I stayed quiet, practicing more on ninjutsu and genjutsu. I was pretty sure that when it came down to it I would be specializing in the latter, working it in tangent with my hexes and perhaps spreading my knowledge on to ambush. Something like that. Weapons would also be deadly in my hands. I could be aiming at a tree and throw the knife behind my back and somehow it would work.

My teachers hated it. Classmates too.

I was totally cheating.

It didn't really matter though, not to me. I was happy enough to stay quiet and under the radar, but sometimes it was hard to purposefully do something badly when you could have done it wonderfully without really trying.

With speed befitting a butterfly the years passed by.

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><p>Summer breaks were spend between the two children, playing in the girl's compound, exploring and practicing their respective crafts. Birthdays went by with gifts exchanged. Grades were handed back, both equally bad in what the other excelled at.<p>

They stuck by each other, very close. When Keiko visited her family's graves Lee was by her side. When Lee was being crushed under the weight of being unable to mold his chakra she was reminding him that he was still the best at taijutsu in their entire class.

When Lee's father was killed in battle Keiko was at the funeral, standing on one side of the boy while his mother stayed tall on the other.

When Lee failed his first attempt at the exam Keiko, who had not taken it, dragged him through the village until he forgot about it, and helped him train for the next.

Faster than either thought was possible it have been seven years, side by side.

And graduation was at last within their grasp.

All through this three gods watched on, one with eyes on another boy five years their senior.

All through the years the barriers solidified. The world was tilting.

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><p>I don't know how Lee graduated, but he managed it. I was relatively sure that the Hokage had pushed him through, after he had given a rousing speech on work ethic and Lee was the only one to declare that he would work harder than anyone before.<p>

My best friend was weird like that.

He also hed very soft hair, a feature that I took advantage of while our teacher, Motomiya-sensei, was reading off the list of teams. I was unconcerned. I had already accepted that I would have to settle for only seeing Lee when he wasn't training instead of everyday, like usual. It would be fine, it wasn't like neither of us would ever have free time.

I tuned back in when I heard my name.

"Keiko Senju, Rock Lee, and Neji Hyuuga, team 4."

I stopped moving, my fingers midway through braiding Lee's long hair. I stared slack jawed at the woman in the front of the room, not quite believing what I had heard. Was that even possible? What the hell? I was on Team Gai?

But that was supposed to be Tenten.

I frowned, scanning the room for her. She was in the corner, talking to another boy from our class and showing him something with her wrist that I didn't quite get. Tenten had been one of my favorites, I didn't want to replace her!

But Lee was smiling, his eyes filled with light as he cheered that we would be on the same team.

I couldn't find it in me to feel as guilt as I'm sure I should.

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><p>Gai instructed his team to meet on the roof, in a little gazebo attached to the building that the Academy split with the Hokage Administrative office. He watched in anticipation as his first ever genin team walked out into the sun, hands on his hips and smiling brightly.<p>

The three were looking at him in the same way many did upon first making his acquaintance. That was fine, they would soon learn to appreciate his vigor and youth.

His team was a mismatched one, he noted.

Neji Hyuuga fit his family name to a T, pale eyes and long brown hair marking him as much a member of that clan as anything else. A tan shirt and darker shorts made up most of his outfit, as well as his head band and weapons pouches.

Rock Lee, who was not from a large clan, only a single shinobi parent, stepped out after the prodigy. Dark hair curled up where it hadn't been braided back, framing his face and head band. A loose shirt hung open, slack pants stopping shy of traditional ninja sandals. He too wore the standard pouches.

The last to walk out was the only girl, Keiko Senju. White hair was held out of her face by a clip, marked with the kanji for 'luck', the rest toughing her shoulders. A green jacket trimmed with black fur paired with black ninja pants. Like the boys she carried only the standard weapons.

"Welcome students!" he boomed, causing two to jump while Neji narrowed his eyes. "I am your teacher from this day forth, Konoha's Beautiful Blue Beast, Might Gai!"

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><p>I knew from the second I stepped into the balcony things were about to get weird.<p>

I was very, very right.

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><p><em>Diligence is the mother of good luck. – Benjamin Franklin. <em>


	5. Chapter 5

**ShugoYuuki123: Thank you!**

**the Hate Child: Thank you very much. **

**shanagi95: I think you're right, whoops! This is the first time I've seen it be Tenten too.**

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><p>"Okay. Let's hear your names and what you strive for," Gai decided, hands propped on his hips as he stood in front of us.<p>

Neji, who was sitting to my right, gave a very simple answer. "I am Neji Hyuuga, and I do not wish to answer."

I rolled my eyes, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms. I lowered my chin into the fur of my jacket, taking comfort in the familiar softness. Faux rabbit fur. On the edge of the roof Peter appeared, nibbling some grass that grew out of the roof. Our town was weird like that.

Lee's hand shot into the air, as straight as his back. "Sensei, I am Rock Lee, and I want to prove that I can become a great ninja, even if I can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. It means everything to me!"

To my side Neji scoffed, prompting Lee to fly from his seat and point dramatically. "What's so funny?" he demanded.

"Being unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu already disqualifies you from being a ninja," Neji stated coldly. My jaw clenched and I nearly clocked him. Luckily Gai cut in.

"You're wrong. If your blood is boiling, is doesn't have to be that way," he assured us, winking. I twitched. It was nice of him to say, but it was still a little creepy. Both of the boys looked at him, Lee with more surprise than Neji. "If you are young and have a good rival to compete with and improve each other, you can become a great ninja for sure. You'll need to put in a lot of effort though."

He gave Lee a thumbs up and my best friend cheered a 'yes!'. I shook my head fondly until I was addressed.

"And you?"

I looked up at Gai, forgetting for a moment that I was being included here. I shifted slightly.

"I'm Keiko Senju. What I strive for… I wish prove that I can do great things, that I'm not bad luck, or a jinx," I declared, chin lifting out of my collar.

The man gave a laugh tilting his head back. "What excellent goals from my students. Okay, meet me tomorrow at Training Ground 3 as O' 600. There we'll test your skills and determine how brightly the springtime of youth burn in you!"

Lee cheered, Neji gave him a disgusted look and I pushed myself back into the dark fur.

* * *

><p>"Alright students!" Gai's voice threatened my ears, "Today we find out if you are truly prepared to join the proud ranks of Konoha Shinobi! Today we have you real genin test. If you pass you will stay on and learn all that I can teach you. If you fail, you will be sent back to the Academy."<p>

I could see the horror on Lee's face and the disbelief on Neji's.

"After we run 100 laps around the grounds."

My expression joined theirs.

* * *

><p>After I had recovered from the crazy exercise Gai put us through the three of us stood in front of him, under the full force of his beaming smile. I don't know why he was so impressed.<p>

I stopped being able to breath during the run while Lee and Neji sprinted off. The jerks.

I had shed my jacket some time ago, leaving me in a white spaghetti strap so I didn't die of over heating. I felt bare and exposed without my fur, making me squirm under the imagined eyes around us.

"What is our test?" Neji demanded shortly.

"Your test, my dear students, is to fight me!"

* * *

><p>"Come on, how do you expect to make genin with moves like that?" Gai challenged, blocking Lee's every attempt with a foot a few inches from his face. Lee back away, letting Neji run in. His strikes our teacher were blocked with his hands. Neji danced away, leaving just me.<p>

I ran in, throwing in kicks and punches. Taijutsu was my worst subject, contrary to both of the boys. To make of for it I started pushing Gai to stumble. I knew he noticed the green glow in my eyes, how could a jonin not? Jonin was the key word. He recovered from everything I threw at him faster than I could think past my usual 'trip damn you!'s. It was infuriating, which only made it that much harder to come up with something new.

He wasn't hitting us, for which I was grateful. He was well known to be one of the strongest ninja in the village just by his regular muscles, so his tactic of blocking and deflecting out blows was a merciful one.

I back away at last, landing on his far right. Neji was to the middle, with Lee across from me. I was breathing heavily, we all were.

"How will you be true shinobi if you don't apply yourself? Let me see how brightly your youth burns!"

His demand, foolish, crazy, stupid, lit a fire.

I didn't want this life. It wasn't one that I had chosen. The occupation I wanted so much to remove myself from was one that my best friend had worked his ass off to have a chance at. I would not be the reason he lost the chance. I absolutely refused to let that happen.

Options flew through my mind, one after another being thrown away. I didn't have the delicate control over big things to use them with other people not right next to me and have them be safe. So all I could do was line myself up with the boys.

In a moment of sync that I had thought beyond us we lunged as one, cries of determination tearing from our throats. We wouldn't back down, we all decided. We would pass this test.

* * *

><p>"What were you doing earlier?"<p>

I looked up from where I was scratching down in a journal I had begun to keep (old family tradition) to find Neji standing above the table I was at. The restaurant moved around us in its ever busy bustle, dishes clanking in the kitchen while patrons chattered outside.

I set my pen down on the paper, tugging the sleeve of my jacket down lower.

"Excuse me?"

"When we were taking that test you were doing something. You made Gai-sensei trip, multiple times. How?" the boy demanded, still looming above me.

I pressed my lips into a line, not at all appreciating his tone. I suppose he had a right to know, being my new teammate and all.

I didn't like Neji though, so I didn't feel like actually explaining.

So I gave him the explanation that everyone else took.

"I'm bad luck."

* * *

><p><em>Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson<em>


	6. Chapter 6

**Guest from Feb. 28****th****: Thank you for the review! I'm glad that you like it**.

* * *

><p>"That's a flower Lee. Neji, watch your feet before you kill the petunia," I muttered absently, digging more dandelions out of the ground. You had to get the roots or they would grow out. One other things that I had had to interject, repeatedly, between the boys bickering. It was giving me a head ache, honestly. They couldn't seem to comprehend what I was saying, either one of them. Lee was usually very good about listening to me even when I was very quiet. Neji didn't really listen to anyone, but with his eyes he should have been better at gardening.<p>

Really, it would have been easier if I just did it all myself.

Sadly, Gai was watching, going on about the importance of teamwork in preserving your flames of youth.

For once I was looking forwards to the solace of my empty house.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be empty when I got there.

* * *

><p>Naruto had no idea how it had happened.<p>

He'd just been trying to get away from some of the older kids that had decided to test out their new kunai on a moving target that had once been a dog but had morphed to him after he'd called them out on their crap. He had run down one of the abandoned streets of the village, racing away from the bigger kids. He was surrounded by high white walls and steeply risen roofs. No one was around, he couldn't hear another person talking or dogs barking or anything. Seeing a way out Naruto jumped, catching on the shingles and shimmying up, yelping when one of the older boys took a swipe at his leg. A thin slice went through his lower leg, encouraging him to speed up his rush to get away. Two of the others followed him, tackling him over the wall while another shouted for them to stop. Something about trees.

Naruto understood the warning when he dropped over the other side of the wall and felt something painful lash out to grab his ankle. He thrashed but was cut short by two more somethings wrapping around his other ankle and arms. He was caught.

By a tree.

Wide blue eyes stared around at the foliage, watching it latch onto his attackers and hold them high above the ground the same was he was being. He squirmed as more trees branched –tree branches!- coiled around him, keeping him from getting away. Off to the side one of the older boys had started crying.

Naruto felt tears well in his own blue eyes. This was just a crummy day. And no one was going to cut him down. He was going to be eaten by a tree!

* * *

><p>When I walked into my home I was assaulted by screaming children. Or rather, the screaming of children. This, of course, prompted an investigation into what had caused the screaming in the first place.<p>

I wasn't wrong, it was children. A bunch of boy a years or so older than me and one a year younger and much, much smaller. The only reason I knew he was a year younger was because I knew him. Not that everyone else in the village didn't. I just knew him a little bit better, considering that, in twelve years, I had somehow never run into him. It was an impressive feat actually.

All of them were strung up by the trees that my great uncle had put up to ensure the safety of our clan's compound. Each tree had been grown with the instructions to protect the Senju, stop any intruders who got past the regular guards. They did their job well, as seen right then. Since I hadn't given them the clear they would keep the people there until the end of time.

Really, the kids never stood a chance.

"Okay…" I murmured, looking up at the panicked, sobbing children. There was only one thing to do.

Drop them in the koi pond.

The boys came up sputtering and choking when the trees obediently let them go into the water, much to agitation of my dear fish.

I sat at the edge of the pond, pushing enough power to the surface of my skin to set a glow to my eye. "You shouldn't trespass on the Senju grounds," I intoned, throwing my voice to sound as creepy as I could. This place, my home, was the only place I was comfortable doing something like that.

The older boys were clearly ninja, if the fact that they scrambled onto the water and ran screaming was any indication.

The only one left was the little blond kid, who was staring at me in so much shock I thought he was going to forget to tread water. I blinked the green back to normal. I knew this kid. The entire town did.

Uzumaki Naruto stared wide eyed at me from where he was had realized he could stand up.

I stared back.

For all we had gone to the same school for years I'd never said two words to the boy. He was a health hazard, in every way possible.

"You're going to catch cold if you stay there," I told him, startling the boy.

He watched me for a second more before pointing at me dramatically, "Who the hell are you?"

I stared at him blankly. "The owner of this house. Why are you here? No one would let you in."

He winced away from him but it was gone before I could really see it. "What is that supposed to mean?!" he shrieked.

I pulled away from the loud voice, pulling further into my jacket collar. "Don't shout. I meant, everyone else is dead. I'm the only one here."

The certainly sobered things up.

"Anyway, like I said, you're going to get sick if you don't dry off. Go home kid, your parents will be missing you," I told him, pushing myself up and brushing off the back of my pants.

"I don't have any parents," Naruto snapped at me.

This time I took no offense, instead telling him plainly, "Neither do I."

Awkward silence descended.

"Look," I started again, finding the blades of grass under my feet much more interesting than the eyes of the jinchuriki, "Why don't you come in and dry off. There's clothes somewhere that'll fit you."

"Why?" the suspicion in his voice had me cringing. That that was the kid's first reaction was sad.

"I'unno. I don't want you getting sick. It's been a while since I've had company. You're still here when you could have run off with your friends-"

"They aren't my friends-"

"Take your pick."

The blond pursed his lips, only to yelp when a fish jumped out and slapped him in the face.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes found us back in my home, with Naruto wearing clothes that had once belonged to my older brother, scarfing down whatever food I put in front of him and chatting up a storm.<p>

I held back a sigh, more good natured than anything else.

My life just kept getting more interesting.

* * *

><p><em>If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees. - Hal Borland<em>


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